Through the Smokescreen
by Scully Skeptic
Summary: A mysterious phone call in the middle of the night leads Scully and Mulder to a man who may have been killed telepathically.
1. Part 1: Night Call

Takes place after _Paper Clip_ (3x2). References to _Ghost in the Machine_ (1x7) and _Soft Light_ (2x23).

Disclaimer: The X Files and its characters belong to Chris Carter. I own nothing.

This is my very first X-files fanfic and I'll be glad to get some feedback.

PS. English is not my first language so forgive my little grammar sins :)

* * *

**Part 1: Night call **

**Scully's****apartment**** – 11:40 pm. **

The lights are dim. The TV is on but there is no sound. Scully is fast asleep on her couch, covered with a plaid. A half-eaten bowl of pop corn is standing on the coffee table.

Scully's rest is disturbed by the soft ring of her phone. She opens her eyes and stretches. Who could be calling her at this hour on a Saturday night? Automatically Scully thinks that it's Mulder. He probably got a flat tire on his way to Roswell and now he wants Scully to come and pick him up. For a split second Scully considers not to answer the phone. But then again it could be her mother. She sounds groggy when she is answering the phone.

"Hello?"

Surprisingly the voice that she hears on the other end of the line is not Mulder's. In fact, she doesn't recognise it at all. It's a male voice, and she can hear that this man is nervous.

"You must come to the Georgetown Waterfront Park tonight."

"Sir, I think you have wrong -"

"I need to show you what they do. Come before they take me."

This is getting annoying. Scully was never fond of prank callers. She is about to hang up, when the man says:

"See through the smokescreen, Dana!"

And nothing. Silence. This man has hung up before Scully had a chance to ask him anything about who he was or what he wanted. Who was this – a drunken prank caller or somebody who is in need of help? Scully glances at the clock on her living room wall. It's almost midnight. Suppose she does get in her car now and drives to the Georgetown Waterfront Park, then what? Best case scenario: there will be no one there, meaning that she's been fooled. Worst case scenario: someone _will_ be waiting for her. Scully has made powerful enemies ever since she joined Mulder on his quest for the truth.

She could call the phone company and find out the caller's number, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. If something important is waiting for her in that park she has to go there now. Scully looks out the window and sees nothing but darkness...

* * *

**Scully's apartment – 10:00 am**

The kitchen bathes in sunlight. The smell of fresh coffee fills the air. Scully enters the kitchen. She's wearing a bathrobe. Her hair is wet.

It's good to be awake on such a beautiful Sunday morning. The memories of last night's phone call seem distant now, as if covered by a fog. She was tired, and gloomy thoughts occupied her mind that night. She overreacted and got frightened when that "joker" called and tried to pull her leg. But now that the sun is up, the dark spell of yesterday has been lifted.

Scully sits at the table and picks up the Sunday newspaper. She turns the pages, reading only headlines. One headline catches her attention. She reads it again:

_"Man found dead in Georgetown Waterfront Park"_

She reads the article. A middle-aged white male has been found dead by the pond. There are no external wounds or traces of struggle, but the police do not rule out foul play. The man's identity is yet to be established.

This is a coincidence. These things happen. Scully is trying to rationalize the situation and keep her head cold. And yet she can't help but suspect the obvious. That this man's death is somehow related to that mysterious phone call she received last night.

* * *

**Edgar Hoover- Building – 12:00 pm. **

Scully is waiting outside AD Skinner's office. She does not know why he called her in on a Sunday. Skinner's secretary sits behind her own desk, working. She does not acknowledge Scully. The phone on her desk rings, she answers it.

"Yes, sir, she's here." – She hangs up and faces Scully. – "AD Skinner will see you now, agent Scully."

Scully gets up and enters Skinner's office. The man himself is seated behind his desk; he is holding his reading glasses in his hand. Scully tries to read his facial expression, but as usual it does not give her much. His face is stern, and has been stern for as long as she's known him. Perhaps it is an act he has to put up in front of his subordinates. She can't imagine anybody going through life without smiling even once.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Have a seat, agent... Have you heard about the dead man found in Georgetown Waterfront Park last night?"

"Yes, I have."

"You don't happen to know why the police found a note with your phone number on it in his coat pocket, do you?"

"No, sir, I do not. May I ask you what this is all about?" – She pauses. – Am I a suspect?"

Skinner is taken aback by her question.

"No, of course not. But both the police and the FBI are curious as to why the deceased would have the phone number of one of our special agents."

He puts emphasis on the last two words, as if pointing out that any of Scully's problems with the law will inevitably affect the Bureau.

"Has somebody been following you in the past few weeks? You don't remember anything strange happen?"

Scully allows herself to a short pause before answering him. Not too long, so he won't become suspicious. But she needs time before she decides what exactly she will tell him. A year and a half ago she would have told the Assistant Director everything about last night's call. But too much has changed since she was assigned to the X-files. She has learned the hard way that not everybody in the FBI is to be trusted. And although in the past months Skinner has proven to be her and Mulder's friend and not foe, Scully is still reluctant to be completely honest with him. It is not him she doesn't trust, but the men who outrank him. She finally settles on a "short" version of yesterday's conversation.

"Last night a got a phone call. It was a man – I don't know him. He told me to come to the Georgetown Waterfront Park. He said he had something important to tell me. I assumed he was a late night prank caller."

"And now you wonder if this has to do with this case."

"Sir, agent Mulder and I can investigate-"

"You will have to leave this one to the proper authorities. This is not an X-file."

"It is now." – Both Scully and Skinner turn their heads to see Mulder standing in the door. – "I'm sorry I didn't knock, sir. Your secretary is not here."

He goes over to Skinner's desk, sits next to Scully and puts a file folder in front of them.

"The victim's name was Nicholas Planck. He was a physicist, and used to work at the George Washington University. Single, no children. The police have sent over the autopsy report. They want FBI:s assistance on this case. Apparently they're having a problem establishing the cause of death."

Scully picks up the folder and starts reading through the autopsy report. There are photos and CT-scans attached to the report.

"It says here that the pathologist found no exterior wounds, except a number of small puncture wounds on the victim's head."

"There's more." – Mulder points to the CT-scans.

When Scully is done reading, she hands the folder over to Skinner.

"I haven't seen anything like this." – she says.

Skinner is reading the report as well. Considering that the case somehow involves one of FBI:s agents, it falls under FBI:s jurisdiction. Plus the police needs their help. He looks at the pictures taken during the autopsy. The autopsy results are unusual, but Skinner is still uncertain if this case qualifies as an X-file. Finally it is Scully's knowledge in forensic pathology and Mulder's experience with unusual phenomena that gets Skinner to make up his mind.

"Alright, agents, you are now in charge of this investigation."

* * *

**Ext. Autopsy room – 01:30 pm. **

Mulder and Scully are waiting for the victim's body to be brought over and prepared for a second examination.

"And then he just hung up?"

"That's right."

Since Mulder practically snuck into Skinner's office, he couldn't help but overhear his and Scully's conversation. Mulder would not be surprised if he'd receive a phone call like that. A lot of Mulder's sources prefer to stay out of the light, and sometimes Mulder puts his own life at risk to protect their anonymity. But Scully is not used to his kind of thing. And it does worry Mulder that she got such a call. Personally, he's glad she used her best judgement and did not go to meet this man.

"He also said a few things I didn't tell Skinner about."

"What did he say?"

"He said that I must 'see through the smokescreen' ".

"Smokescreen? I will have to look into that. Anyway, why couldn't you tell that to Skinner? You still don't think we can trust him?"

"It's not Skinner that I don't trust, Mulder."

Mulder nods his head in agreement. He knows exactly what Scully is talking about. "Trust no one" – this has been his motto in both professional life and in personal. And in the past year it has been more relevant than ever. The men responsible for Scully's abduction, the death of her sister, the death of his own father – they are inside the government, inside the FBI. So while dealing with sensitive information, one must be careful.

The body is being rolled in the autopsy room. Scully leaves Mulder to begin the examination.

"I'm gonna head back to our office and do some snooping."

"I'll call you when I'm done."

They smile at each other and Scully enters the autopsy room. Before starting the initial examination Scully takes the CT-scans of the victim's brain that were taken during the first autopsy and studies them some more. The images indicate that Dr. Planck died from a brain haemorrhage. There should be no reason why the coroner wouldn't have been able to state that as the cause of death. However, when Scully first looked at the CT-scans she knew exactly why the coroner needed a second opinion. Never in her many years as a forensic pathologist has Scully seen a brain haemorrhage this severe. It looks like every blood vessel in this man's brain exploded. What could have caused such a high blood pressure? According to Dr. Planck's medical records, his blood pressure was normal. Nor did he suffer from any serious illness.

Scully must open the victim's cranium to see the effects of the haemorrhage. But first she must take a look at the multiple puncture wounds on his head. Could it be that these wounds have something to do with the haemorrhage? Scully snaps latex gloves on her hands, puts a surgical mask on her face, turns on the tape recorder and starts the procedure...

* * *

**Mulder and Scully's office – 03:30 pm. **

Mulder has been sitting in his office for the larger part of the afternoon. He has finished the initial research about Mr. Planck and is now waiting for Scully's call. He looks around the room. He should really clean up here. There's only one desk and sometimes Mulder thinks that it wouldn't be a bad idea to put a second desk. That would make many things a lot easier. Mulder leans back in his chair, takes one of the newly sharpened pencils in his hand and tosses it up. The pencil sticks to the ceiling, joining a dozen of similar pencils. Not bad. Just as he is about to throw a second pencil, the phone rings. He answers it.

"FBI:s most unwanted!"

"Mulder, it's me. I'm done with the autopsy."

"What did you find?"

"My examination has only confirmed what the coroner found in the first autopsy. Planck died from a brain haemorrhage. The problem is that there is not a force in the world that would cause a haemorrhage this severe."

She pauses and Mulder hears a car door open. Scully must be on her way home now.

Then there's the puncture wounds. There is nothing unusual about them, except for their origin. I still don't know how they got there. Meanwhile, what do you have?"

"Well, I've been doing a little digging of my own. It turns out that Doctor Planck was a professor in particle physics. He was teaching at the George Washington University until he resigned in 1987 to participate in something called Project Brainstorm."

"Did you say Brainstorm?"

" Yes. You've heard about it?"

"I have read about it years ago. They're studying the human brain and the nervous system. Their goal is to find a cure for Parkinson's decease and come up with better rehabilitation programs for people who suffered stroke."

"Looks like we need to go down to the Project Headquarters. But since it is Sunday afternoon, we will have to wait until tomorrow morning."

* * *

**Project Brainstorm Headquarters – 08:00 pm.**

Doctor Natalie Tanaka – the head psychologist of Project Brainstorm – is working late tonight again. For all she knows she can be the only living soul in the entire building, except maybe for the janitor. Her office is dimly lit by a lamp on her desk. The papers on her desk are neatly folded and stacked. She likes order. Her phone rings, startling her.

"Dr. Tanaka speaking."

Her face muscles stiffen when she hears the voice in the receiver. She knows this voice all too well.

"Two FBI-agents will be coming to see you tomorrow morning. They will be asking questions about Dr. Planck."

"I don't want to hear this. Please."

"You will answer their questions. We want to be cooperative, Doctor. But I hope you know what to leave out when you tell them your story."

"Yes, I do. Are we done?"

The man hangs up without saying anything else. Natalie Tanaka wishes that they were done. Done with this charade. She puts down the receiver and takes one of the framed photos that stand on her desk. It is a family photo. Natalie, her husband and their three children are smiling for the camera. The children are all grown-ups now, but it doesn't make them less vulnerable to "life's little mishaps". She thinks about her kids and about her friend Nicholas whose life was cut short last night.

She puts the framed photo back where it belongs. The psychologist likes order. She only wishes that she could bring order in her own life. But that is out of her hands. There are other people who have the power to control her life, both professional and personal. There is nothing that she can do but to obey them.

* * *

Thank you for reading. In the next chapter our agents will dig deeper in the mysteries of Brainstorm.

PS. This story is not related to a movie called _Brainstorm_, since I have only found out about it after finishing this story. Also I haven't seen it.


	2. Part 2: Brainstorm

Takes place after _Paper Clip_ (3x2). References to _Ghost in the Machine_ (1x7) and _Soft Light_ (2x23).

Disclaimer: The X Files and its characters belong to Chris Carter. I own nothing.

This is my very first X-files fanfic and I'll be glad to get some feedback.

PS. English is not my first language so forgive my little grammar sins :)

* * *

**Part 2: Brainstorm**

**Project Brainstorm Headquarters – twelve hours later **

The headquarters are located in a relatively new building in Georgetown. Modern architecture and spacious rooms with big windows give the research centre an inviting and pleasant atmosphere.

Mulder and Scully enter the Headquarters and show their badges for the receptionist.

"We're here to speak to Dr. Natalie Tanaka."

"Just a moment, please." – The receptionist dials the head psychologist's office number. – "Dr. Tanaka, you have visitors. It's the FBI."

Moments later Natalie Tanaka comes down to greet the agents. She is a good looking woman in her late forties.

"I'm agent Mulder. This is my partner Scully. We're investigating the death of Doctor Nicholas Planck."

"The Project has lost one if its finest minds. Again."

She leads the agents up to her office. On their way up they see people – scientists and lab workers who are busy working on this project. Scully follows up on Tanaka's last word:

"You said 'again'. It had happened before?"

"We employ over two hundred people. Some come, others go. But I am referring to the _heads_ of Brainstorm. The original members. When we first started the Project, there were ten of us. Now it's just me. It's kind of scary when you think about it."

"How come you're the only one left?" – Mulder asks her while they are ascending the stairs.

"We started Brainstorm ten years ago. A lot of things have happened since then. Two of our members passed away. They were old. Others left for different reasons. In the end it was just Charles Messing, Nicholas Planck and I."

They enter Dr. Tanaka's office that is situated on the second floor. She takes a seat behind her desk and motions for the agents to sit too.

"When Charles left six months ago, both Nicholas and I were crushed. This project was his idea. He was our leader."

Mulder hears how upset this woman is, despite her best efforts to sound professional.

"Why did Doctor Messing leave?"

"There were conflicts between him and Nicholas. They disagreed on so many things. Nicholas was a physicist and Charles is a brain surgeon. They approached things from too different perspectives. Over the years their conflicts became personal."

She pauses and then goes on:

"Needless to say I got caught in the middle. Charles wanted me to leave with him. I had great respect for both men and I couldn't choose. But I love my job. When I told Charles that I was staying he became furious. He wouldn't speak to me anymore."

"Where is Doctor Messing now?"

"I don't know. He doesn't keep in touch."

Scully casts a look at the framed photos on Natalie's desk. There is one of her family – husband and three children. And there is one where Natalie is posing with the original members of Project Brainstorm; all ten of them. The picture must have been taken nine or ten years ago. Natalie is standing next to a man, who appears to be in his forties. Scully notices that this man has his arm around her.

"What can you tell us about Doctor Planck?"

"He was a brilliant man. But he had a bad temper. I still can't believe he's gone. A lot of people disliked him for personal reasons, but he didn't have any _real_ enemies. Why would anyone want to kill him?"

"Well, we still don't know whether or not he was killed. That is why the FBI was called in on this case. Do you know if Doctor Planck was afraid of something?"

"Afraid? I'm not sure I'm following..."

"If he ever felt threatened or pursued by somebody?"

"No, I don't think so. Like I said he didn't have enemies."

Scully then asks the psychologist:

"Doctor, we want to show you some pictures. They were taken during Nicholas Planck's autopsy. I know this can make you uncomfortable and upset, but we need your help."

When Natalie nods her head in agreement Mulder pulls four photos form the envelope he was carrying and puts them on Natalie's desk. She picks them up. These are the images of the puncture wounds found on Dr. Planck's head and the CT-scans of his brain. Natalie takes a deep breath. She gets tears in her eyes but manages to hold them back.

"He died of a brain haemorrhage?" – This seems to come as a shock to her.

"It appears to be so. Have you seen anything like this before?"

"No. This is impossible."

"Do you think Doctor Messing could kill Nicholas Planck?"

"No, of course not. They may have had their differences, but Charles could never do such a thing. And how would that be possible? That would mean he somehow caused Nicholas' haemorrhage. I don't see how." – There is fear in Natalie's voice.

"And what about these marks? Do you know what could have caused them?"

"Yes, I have. When I was working with torture victims at the Red Cross. Apparently some governments _bore_ electrodes into the victim's scalp, while they inject truth serum and start the questioning. My patients called the procedure _smokescreen, _because it left them disoriented."

Scully is taken aback by the word smokescreen. Is it just a coincidence that Planck told her the same thing before he died?

"Alright, Doctor, thank you for your help. We will be in touch."

The FBI-agents leave Natalie alone in her office. When the door behind them closes she starts crying. Seeing these pictures of Nicholas' slaughtered brain was too much for her. Because she knows how it happened. She knows how Planck was murdered. She feels so guilty, not just because she lied to the FBI, but mostly because she could have prevented the murder.

Natalie dries her tears and picks up the phone. She dials the number of the man who called her last night. The last thing she wants to hear is his cold emotionless voice that sends chills down her spine. Every time she talks to him she can almost smell the cigarette smoke sipping trough the receiver. After only two rings the man answers.

"It's me."

"Did you talk to them?"

"Yes. And I was careful too."

"Are you sure? You didn't have to tell them about the "smokescreen"-torture. Plus you practically blurted out that Nicholas was murdered."

"I couldn't be too secretive. It would have looked suspicious."

"Well, let's just hope that our dear agents like you enough to trust you. I like you too, Natalie. It would be a shame to see you go."

He hangs up. Natalie feels sick. He has been listening to her conversation with the FBI the entire time. This whole damn building is wired! There is no way for her to speak freely to anybody. Unless... Natalie thinks about the other possibility for a moment. She could contact Charles Messing. It's a dangerous method. Just look at what happened to Nicholas! But she needs to talk to him. And in times like this one must choose lesser of the two evils. She touches her head, reaching the skin under her thick long hair. Her fingers feel the small puncture wounds that were left after last week's experiments. She doesn't want to feel the pain of electrodes being bored into her scalp again. But she has no choice.

* * *

**Scully's apt. – 07:00 pm.**

Scully has just finished filling in her field log about the case, when her phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Scully, it's me. I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that I think I know how Planck died."

"And the bad news?"

"I'm calling you from the hospital. Doctor Tanaka had a heart attack."

* * *

Part 3 coming soon...


	3. Part 3: Smokescreen

Takes place after _Paper Clip_ (3x2). References to _Ghost in the Machine_ (1x7) and _Soft Light_ (2x23).

Disclaimer: The X Files and its characters belong to Chris Carter. I own nothing.

This is my very first X-files fanfic and I'll be glad to get some feedback.

PS. English is not my first language so forgive my little grammar sins :)

* * *

**Part 3: Smokescreen **

**Washington Memorial Hospital – 08:00 pm. **

Scully makes her way to the ICU, where she is met by Mulder. He looks exhausted but alert.

"Mulder, what happened to her?"

"She collapsed in her office. The doctor says she had a heart attack."

"How did you find out about this?"

"From an anonymous tip. I got a call while I was at the office and was about to head home."

A doctor walks by and Scully stops him. She shows him the ID.

"Excuse me, sir, we're with the FBI. We're here to see Natalie Tanaka. How is she doing?"

"Her condition is critical. She is unconscious. We do what we can."

Mulder and Scully go to the cafeteria. It is dark and empty which is perfect for them to discuss the case. Scully starts by filling in Mulder on what she has found so far.

"Hear this out: Project Brainstorm was originally sponsored by George Washington University in 1985 and Messing was heading it. But they closed it down two years later. Six months later it was reopened, only this time they were sponsored by a company that doesn't even exist anymore."

"A ghost company. A cover for the real sponsors."

"Remember what Tanaka said about the original members? She said two of them died of old age. Well, three more of them suffered violent deaths over the course of two years. And so did their families. It looks like nobody leaves Brainstorm alive."

"Except for Charles Messing. Who is nowhere to be found."

Mulder sits back in the chair and rubs his eyes. He understands what is going on. Whoever is sponsoring the Project they're interested in keeping their work a secret. Those scientists wanted to leave the Project, perhaps even expose it. They were murdered. That would explain why Natalie Tanaka wasn't telling them the truth. If Messing is the only one who managed to escape, these people must be out to get him.

"Wait a minute, Scully, you said three more died violent deaths-"

"I meant besides Planck."

"Ok, so six dead members. Tanaka and Messing are still alive. Where did the last two go?"

"When Brainstorm reopened, there were only eight original members left. I guess the other two did not want to continue the work anymore. Wait, you said you knew how Planck died."

"Before working on Brainstorm, Messing was a practising brain surgeon. And before that he studied physics. He published several articles about the electric impulses in the human nervous system. It got me thinking about how the brain works. Our thoughts and feelings are in actuality electric impulses and chemical reactions, right?"

Scully nods. So far she's not arguing with his reasoning.

"We know that every body – you, me, this table over here – emits radiation. Electromagnetic radiation. Visible and invisible light. So what if the brain emits these electric currents, these surges in form of radiation, like radio waves? If it's true then it would be possible to intercept these waves, these signals. Scully, we're talking about the possibility of reading people's minds and feelings. It's telepathy on a strictly physical scientific level."

Scully considers this for a moment.

"Mulder, I understand your reasoning. Your theory is grounded in hard science, but not any more than a good science fiction novel. Even if the brain emits thoughts in form of waves, it would be impossible for anyone to intercept them."

"But what if it's not? I bet that is exactly what Brainstorm is all about. Just think of the possibilities, Scully! You wouldn't need psychics and mediums anymore because you have a fool proof scientific method to read people's minds. The government would pay for it. And they do, since they are behind the whole thing."

"Suppose it's true. Why would they want to kill off their scientists?"

"The other nine were disposable. It's Messing who is the key. I believe that he succeeded in his work. And that he killed Planck before Planck could expose the Project to you. That is why he is hiding."

"Are you suggesting that Messing killed Planck with the power of his thought?"

"He caused the haemorrhage. You said yourself that there's no power in the world that could have caused his blood vessels to explode like that. But I think there is. And this power is _inside_ Messing."

"Alright, we have a suspect. But we cannot arrest a man on the grounds of killing someone with his thoughts."

"Maybe not yet, but I still think he is our man. And what we need to do right now is to ensure Tanaka's safety."

"Speaking of Tanaka. I have a reason to suspect that she and Messing were more than just partners." – this news catches Mulder's attention. Scully continues. – "There is a photo of all ten original members of Brainstorm. I saw it in Tanaka's office. I recognised Charles Messing on that photo too. And he is posing with his arm wrapped around Tanaka. It is not proof that they were involved, but given the circumstances, I think we should keep that in mind."

"It's a really good observation, Scully. But even if they were involved, we can't rule out the possibility that he will want to hurt her too."

Mulder's right. Though she does not agree with his theory about how Messing might have killed Planck, she too suspects this runaway scientist. It makes sense. The two scientists were at odds with each other. Perhaps there was some deep ridden hostility between the members. There is no way of knowing it now that Planck is dead and Tanaka is fighting for her life. Maybe he killed Planck because of his own selfish reasons, or maybe it was because he didn't want Planck to expose the project to the FBI. He must have had his reasons, and who is to tell that Messing is not posing a threat to Tanaka? He may try to kill her for the same reasons he killed Planck. Therefore protecting Tanaka is not an option, but an obligation.

"Alright, we'll put a guard outside Tanaka's room."

"I don't think it's enough, Scully. If Messing can kill telepathically, we have to find him before he gets into Tanaka's mind."

* * *

**Abandoned house – in the middle of nowhere**

Charles Messing is pacing the room. He looks exhausted, his eyes are wild. He hasn't slept in days. Every time he closes his eyes he has visions, hallucinations. Charles knows that they are the side effect of the experiments he has been conducting on himself in the past ten years. But the hallucinations have become worse ever since he killed Nicholas Planck. Every now and then Charles starts crying hysterically, because he feels terrible about killing his friend. But he had no choice, did he? Planck wanted to contact the feds and tell them about the Project. There is too much at stake. Planck had to be silenced.

Charles looks at the machine that stands in the middle of the dark room. It's the transformed MRI-machine, the one that helps picking up and sending signals from one mind to another. It's a primitive model; in fact it's Charles' own prototype, the one he hid from the government years ago. He had to leave that new machine at the facility. But he is happy that he stole the most important files from the facility before he left the Project for good.

This morning Natalie tried to contact him. He could sense that she was desperate to talk to him. The feds are on to her. That idiot Planck managed to call them before Charles could get to him. If the feds find out the truth about Brainstorm, Natalie is as good as dead. This means that all his efforts to stay out of the authorities' radar have been in vain.

If only he could tap into those agents' minds and prevent them from digging any deeper. But he's not psychic he can't just read anybody's thoughts. Planck and Natalie he could read because their minds were already open for contact. They knew the procedure. That is why he cannot stop the FBI from looking for him. And that is why he can't stop the government from hurting Natalie, her family and everyone who is involved in the Project.

When Natalie contacted him, Charles tried to shut her out. But he failed. And now she is hurt. Even if her mind was strong enough to handle the "conversation" they had, her heart wasn't. What will happen to her now? Charles' train of thought is interrupted by a white flash of pain. The pain comes from deep inside his brain and tears it apart. It breaks through the bones in his skull, before it escapes his head. When the pain is finally gone he collapses on the floor. Hard concrete under his knees is the last thing he feels.

* * *

**Washington Memorial Hospital – 10:00 am. **

Scully is walking down the ICU. Natalie Tanaka is still unresponsive, and Scully wants to talk to her physician about the condition she is in. According to Tanaka's medical journals that Scully was able to obtain, she has a bad heart. So it makes sense that after everything that has happened Tanaka's heart would get weak. What puzzles both Scully and the ICU-doctors is that Tanaka still hasn't regained her consciousness. It is as if something is preventing her from waking up.

When Scully is about to enter Tanaka's room, the ICU-doctor (the one she spoke to yesterday) walks out of the room.

"Agent Scully, I'm glad you're here. I was just about to give you a call."

"How is Mrs. Tanaka's condition?"

"It's the same. Her vitals are almost normal now. The EKG shows that her heart is recovering. But she still won't wake up. I cannot say that she is in a coma. It's like she is just sleeping."

"Have you scanned her brain?"

"No. Why?"

Scully doesn't know what to say. She doesn't even believe in Mulder's theory about brainwaves and telepathy. But for the sake of certainty would it not be wise to at least look at Tanaka's brain?

"There is something else I want to show you, agent."

They enter Tanaka's room and the doctor motions for Scully to come closer to the bed. She is not hooked up to a respirator, and breathes on her own. The machines show that her heart rate is normal. She just sleeps. The doctor pushes away some of Tanaka's long hair to reveal the scalp.

"Have you seen anything like this?"

Scully can't believe her eyes. Tanaka's head is covered with small red puncture wounds that are hidden well under her hair. Some of the wounds are fresh.

"The nurse only noticed these wound this morning before rounds. Some of them are fresh, but most of them are almost healed. Do you know how she could have gotten them?"

"No."

She is lying. She knows. The wounds are identical to those on Planck's scalp. And they have to do with the experiments that people in Brainstorm are conducting on each other. What do they do there? Are they in fact trying to become psychic? But even if that is what they do, it doesn't mean that they are successful.

Suddenly a thought runs through Scully's mind. She just realised that she didn't see the guard outside Tanaka's room. Mulder and Scully arranged for the psychologist to have protection is case Messing would show up.

"Doctor, have you seen a guard outside this room? He is supposed to be here at all times."

"Oh, you don't know then. Your partner called an hour ago and let the guard go. He said it wasn't necessary anymore."

It doesn't take long for Scully to realize what kind of situation she and Mulder have gotten themselves in. Someone who claimed to be Mulder (and knew Mulder's badge number too) called off the protection. Why? Because these people are desperate to find Charles Messing – the man they believe has information of great importance. The must have known – or at least suspected – that Messing and Tanaka were more than just partners. And so they hope that Messing will show up at her hospital bed. They are using Natalie Tanaka as bait. They must have a spy in this ward. Scully feels it is best to contact Mulder and have him come over here.

When Mulder arrives some twenty minutes later Scully updates him on the latest news. Tanaka's strange condition, the puncture wounds on her scalp and the mysterious "Agent Mulder" who called of the protection.

"They're using her to get to Messing." – Mulder is convinced of that.

"Then we will be here when he comes. _If_ he comes."

"There isn't anything else we can do on this case anyway. I just spoke to Skinner. He can't give us the search warrant on the Brainstorm facility. That's were all the answers are and we can't get them. Our only hope lies in the hands of two people. One of them is missing and the other one is in a coma."

"Tanaka is not in a coma, Mulder. But her condition is very peculiar. It's like her mind doesn't want to wake up."

"Maybe Messing tried to tap into her mind, just like he did with Planck. And maybe her condition is a reaction to that... that attack. If only there was some way to protect her."

Scully sighs. Mulder is still going with this theory that Messing can read people's minds and kill them with the power of his thought. But she will not argue with him this time. She's too tired. Besides, even if he is right there isn't much they can do right now but wait.

* * *

**Time cut: noon **

So they have been waiting for Messing for almost two hours. Mulder is sitting at one end of the hallway and is pretending to read the newspaper. Scully has taken position on the other end. She is reading one of Messing's old scientific articles Mulder was able to dig out. Mulder knows that Scully doesn't believe in his theory. But he also knows that she wants to find out more about their mysterious suspect, and try to understand his thinking.

"Look out for spies!" – Scully told Mulder before they began their "shift". But so far Mulder hasn't spotted anyone who looks suspicious. Most people here are doctors, nurses and orderlies. Tanaka's family came to visit her today. Mulder and Scully did not approach them. They can't draw any more attention to themselves than they already do.

Suddenly Mulder get this crazy feeling. He feels like he and Scully are in a middle of a race. They must catch a man with an extraordinary gift. And their competitors are the same people who have been sabotaging Mulder's work and putting a threat to his and Scully's lives for a long time. The "men in black" always won. Mulder could not let them win this time. They are not going to put their hands on Charles Messing just like they did with Brad Wilczek, the computer genius and Chester Banton, the man who controlled dark matter. If Messing is guilty of murdering his colleague he will be tried and punished in the court of law, not sent away to some hidden facility in order to become a lab rat.

Mulder's stomach makes a sound – it's clearly empty. He gets up from his chair and heads down the hall to the vending machine. He scans through the candy labels and finds nothing that he likes. If only there were vending machines that only sold sunflower seeds! But Mulder is hungry. So he randomly picks a candy bar and starts inserting coins in the slot. And while he is doing that, he notices something. He carefully turns his head to his right. There it is: a man who is standing in the end of the long hallway. It's Charles Messing. He is wearing a disguise, but there is no way of fooling Mulder and his photographic memory. He has seen pictures of the scientist. Messing's body language says it all: he is scared out of his mind. He wants to go to Tanaka's room, but he's too afraid that someone will be waiting for him there. He looks terrible, like he hasn't been sleeping for a long time.

Mulder takes a few careful steps towards Messing. Messing doesn't seem to notice him just yet. He is busy trying to see into Tanaka's room. Mulder turns around and sees Scully. She too has noticed Messing. She motions her head in the direction of the door that says exist. Mulder nods and she exits the hallway. Mulder continues walking towards Messing. Very carefully he takes his gun from the holster and holds it behind his back. When he is only ten steps away from Messing, the man finally notices him. His eyes go wild – is it anger or fear? –, he turns on his heels and starts running. Mulder runs after him.

Messing is fast. He bursts trough the exit on this end of the hallway and practically flies down the stairs.

"FBI! I will shoot!" – Mulder shouts but the man won't listen.

Messing makes it all the way down to the hospital parking. He opens the door and runs out, with Mulder on his heels.

"Freeze!" – as if out of nowhere Scully has jumped in front of Messing, blocking his way. Her gun is pointed at him. – "Charles Messing, you are under arrest. Mulder, cuff him!"

Mulder is still panting when he cuffs Messing's hands behind his back. Scully has lowered her gun, but is eyeing Messing closely.

"You're making a big mistake!" – Messing's voice is shaking. He sounds almost hysterical, but is able to put himself together when he says. – "They will take me and they will kill Natalie."

"Who?" – Mulder asks him. – "The people who are sponsoring Brainstorm? The people you are hiding from?"

Messing doesn't answer. Mulder and Scully lead him to Mulder's car. He doesn't resist but pleads they let him see Tanaka.

"I want to see her. I want to see Natalie."

"What for? She's in a coma. There's nothing you can do."

They put him in the back seat and close the door. Then they get into the car – Mulder in the driver's seat – and lock the doors.

"What are you going to do to me?" – Messing' voice is weak now. Mulder looks in the rearview mirror and sees the man's eyes: they are the eyes of a small terrified child.

"We're going to read you your rights and..." - Scully stops talking when she sees two men in grey suits run towards the car. Their guns are drawn. Their faces are stern.

Mulder sees them too. He starts the car engine and makes to the exit. They manage to drive out of the hospital parking and join the stream of cars in the streets of DC. Pretty soon, however, they realize that they are being followed. Mulder presses his foot a little harder on the accelerator and they go a little faster. But it's no good, he thinks. These people will not stop chasing them. Where did they come from? Mulder tries to remember all the people he saw passing by in the ICU during their "shift". And then he remembers. And so does Scully. She turns to Mulder and says:

"Those men. I saw them at the hospital. But not in the ICU. They were lurking around outside."

"They have been watching us the entire time. I'll try to shake them off."

"You can't!" – Messing says from the backseat. – "They will get me."

Mulder doesn't listen. He is now driving down a highway. Looking in the rear view mirror he sees that the grey car that has been following them in gone. Or so it seems. All of a sudden Messing starts convulsing. He shuts his eyes and screams in pain. Scully turns around to see what is going on.

"Mulder, he's having some kind of seizure. We have to do something."

"We can't get him to the hospital. It looks like we have lost our pursuers. We'll find a motel where we can hide out for a while."

"Sounds like a plan." – She says and turns her attention to Messing. – "Doctor Messing, do you hear me?"

But he doesn't hear her. The seizure only lasts for a minute then he looses his consciousness and collapses on the back seat. The agents share a look. This case is getting more bizarre by the minute...


	4. Part 4: The Abyss

Takes place after _Paper Clip_ (3x2). References to _Ghost in the Machine_ (1x7) and _Soft Light_ (2x23).

Disclaimer: The X Files and its characters belong to Chris Carter. I own nothing.

This is my very first X-files fanfic and I'll be glad to get some feedback.

PS. English is not my first language so forgive my little grammar sins :)

* * *

**P****art 4: The Abyss **

**Motel somewhere outside DC – 06:00 pm. **

It's been hours since they checked in to this rundown motel. They had to carry Messing out of the car and into their room since he was out of consciousness. They could not know what kind of seizures he suffered from. Scully went through his pockets in hopes of finding medication or something else that would give them a clue about his condition. All she found was a bottle of aspirins. She then examined Messing's scalp. She found what she was looking for – small puncture wounds, some of them still fresh.

"I think it's obvious why all three scientists have these wounds." – says Mulder while he and Scully are eating junk food in their room.

Messing is still sleeping. Or is he in coma just like Tanaka? Scully raises her eyebrow and says:

"Are you suggesting that the people at Brainstorm use machines to contact each other telepathically and that these wounds are marks from electrodes they put on their heads?"

A warm yet sly smile decorates Mulder's face.

"It's true what they say, Scully. Married people do start thinking alike!"

"We're not married, Mulder. And besides, you heard what Tanaka said about this so called "smokescreen"- torture. I have never heard of electrodes that have to be bored into a test subject's head, but maybe that was the part of the torture. But just because people at Brainstorm were using the same technique, does not mean they became psychic."

They continue eating in silence. And then Scully says with a note of concern in her even voice:

"Those people who were chasing us. Don't you think we lost them a little too soon?"

"You're right." – Mulder has been thinking about it himself. These men have let them go way too easily. These past hours have been feeling like the calm before the storm. – "Look, I called Skinner and he said he'd try to enter Messing into Witness Relocation program."

"It will never work." – They hear a weak voice coming from the back of the room. They turn around and see that Messing is awake and sitting up in one of the twin beds. – "They will catch us and they will get me."

"Who are _they_?" – Mulder gets up from his chair and sits on the twin bed facing Messing.

"The government. They never introduced themselves. But I have always suspected that they are form the DOD."

"Department of Defense? They are the ones who are sponsoring Brainstorm?" – This comes as a surprise to Scully. She joins Mulder on the twin bed and eyes the beat down scientist carefully.

"Start talking." – Mulder looks him in the eyes. – "We don't have much time, so you better tell us the truth about Brainstorm, Doctor Messing."

Messing takes a deep breath. His body seems to have relaxed just a little bit. Is it because he feels more or less safe with Mulder and Scully, or because he wants to finally get things off his chest? Anyway, he starts talking.

"Brainstorm was my idea. When we first started we were going to study Parkinson's decease and stroke. But I had my own little _pet project_ on the side."

"You wanted to read people's minds." – Mulder interrupts him.

"Not just read their minds. Enter people's minds and see their emotional make up. When the University found out about it, they shut us down. They said it was unethical. And that we were wasting their money."

"That's when the DOD came in to the picture?"

"They gave us everything: money, personnel, equipment. But we had to do exactly what they told us. We were supposed to create the _telepathic machine_. It sounds so ridiculous when you say it out loud!"

He laughs bitterly then goes on:

"We were working on it for eight years. What the DOD did not know was that I already had the prototype. We decided not to show them the results. We were trying to stall them. So they killed three of our members, to warn the rest. To warn me. We all became their hostages."

"Did you kill Planck?" – Scully's question cuts right through the fog of conspiracy and mysticism.

"I had no choice." – Messing stares her right in the eyes. – "He called you. He was going to tell you the truth. And then Natalie would be as good as dead."

"You did it so save Doctor Tanaka." – Mulder says. – "You had an affair with her, didn't you?"

"I loved her. And I would never hurt her. At least not willingly"

"What do you mean by that?"

"She contacted me. Telepathically. She was asking for my help. Those people made her lie to you. After our "talk" she collapsed. I felt it in my own head. She couldn't handle the pressure."

"You were the one who called me and told me that she had collapsed."

"It was the risk I had to take."

"The seizure you just had – does it have to do with your..." – Mulder hesitates, - "Your gift?"

"That's right. Nothing in this life is free. This gift, as you call it, has messed up my brains."

"How does this machine work?" – Mulder asks the scientist almost in awe.

"Better answer us this: how did you kill Planck?" – Scully's voice is harsh.

"I will tell you feds no more. I have already revealed too much. If you know any more details, they will go after you too."

Mulder's cell phone rings. He answers it, leaving Scully and Messing wondering if it's good news or bad news.

"Mulder here... You've talked to them?.. We can't do that... This is _our_ investigation... Alright, fine, I'll tell them."

He puts his phone back in the pocket.

"That was Skinner. He got a call from the DOD. Doctor Messing, they want us to deliver you to them in one hour."

Great. Just fantastic. The reason why these people always won was that the law was on their side. And even when it wasn't they bent it. They stretched the very definition of justice so what they did would not be considered criminal. What could one man in a basement do against them? They were the ones who wouldn't let Mulder and Scully see through the smokescreen of their own lies.

Mulder looks at Messing. It's almost an apologetic look. Messing is a murderer, but he deserves to be tried like any other American citizen. But Mulder is surprised to see Messing's reaction. He's calm. His voice is level when he asks Mulder just one question:

"Where are we supposed to meet them?"

* * *

**Time cut: fifty minutes later**

Everyone in the car is silent as Mulder is driving it to the appointed location. Mulder can already taste the bitter aftertaste of failure that this case has left him with. Scully on the other hand is questioning her job with FBI. She is supposed to be protecting innocent people from evil and injustice. What is her work worth if she keeps loosing? Would it have made any difference if she'd gone to the park that night?

They are driving down the evening roads of DC. The rush hour is over and there are not many cars on the road. After a few minutes Scully sees a lonely car that is parked near a warehouse. There are no people in sight, but she knows it's the exact spot where they are supposed to hand over Charles Messing to the DOD. As they are getting closer to the other car Scully almost gasps. Her eyes have played a trick on her: she thought she saw a familiar tall figure of the Cigarette Smoking Man. She was wrong of course. There was no one by the car. And no one _in_ the car, for that matter.

"Stop the car!" – Messing's voice breaks the silence.

"We're almost there." – Mulder's tone of voice does little to disguise the guilt he feels.

"Stop it right here!" – Messing sounds like he mans business. He is obviously up to something. But how can he even hope that he can escape these men?

Mulder can't really explain why he does it, but he hits the breaks. The car comes to a halt in the middle of the dark road.

"Mulder, what are you doing?" – Scully doesn't want anymore trouble.

But he doesn't answer her. The truth is he doesn't know what he is doing himself. Could it be that Messing is somehow controlling him telepathically? Mulder considers this possibility but only for a brief moment. Perhaps the more plausible explanation is that Mulder doesn't want these men to win again and letting Messing escape is the last move of a desperate man.

Anyway it's too late. The car has stopped and Messing opens the door. He leaps from his seat and out on the paved road. His hands are cuffed in front of him. Mulder and Scully do not wait and run after him.

"Mulder, didn't you lock the car?" – Scully asks him as they are sprinting after Messing, who is now some fifty steps ahead. Scully cannot believe how fast he is, especially with his hands cuffed.

"I thought I did!"

Behind him Mulder hears footsteps. He turns around, and sees the same men in grey who were following them earlier today. They are catching up on Mulder and Scully. Their guns are drawn but they don't attempt to shoot either the agents or Messing.

The four of them continue running after Messing, who has crossed the road and is heading towards a canal. Men in grey outrun Mulder and Scully and are closing in on Messing. But Messing keeps running towards the canal. Suddenly it all becomes clear to Mulder. Horror fills his mind as he shouts:

"Doctor Messing, stop! It's not worth it!"

His words are swallowed by the approaching night. Before he knows it, Messing reaches the canal, swings over the railing and jumps into the water.

When the agents reach the canal, he is nowhere to be seen. The two men in grey are already talking to their superiors on the cell phone. They will begin the search. But what will they find?

* * *

… _The police and the DOD have been searching for Doctor Charles Messing's body in the canal for four long days. They have now called off the search. _

_Doctor Natalie Tanaka has died in the hospital without regaining her consciousness. The cause of death has not yet been established, but I dare to suspect that her death was a result of the experiments she had been conducting on herself while working in Brainstorm. _

_Project Brainstorm has been shut down. All two hundred and two people who were working on the project have been let go and are currently unemployed. The DOD has confiscated all the files and every piece of equipment in the Brainstorm facility. _

_Agent Mulder, however, believes that they will not find anything of importance to them, because Charles Messing destroyed all evidence that he had stolen from the facility prior to his escape. All his knowledge has disappeared in the cold dark waters of the canal._

_Special Agent Dana Scully_

_1995 _


End file.
